00:00U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that U.S. naval forces had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as tensions mount with the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
00:13The seizure was led by the U.S. Coast Guard and supported by the Navy.
00:18Trump did not offer additional details but said the U.S. would keep the oil aboard the tanker.
00:24As you probably know, we've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela, a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually, and other things are happening.
00:40Venezuela's government in a statement condemned the seizure as a blatant theft and an act of international piracy.
00:47Using U.S. forces to take control of a merchant ship is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration's latest push to increase pressure on Maduro.
00:59The seizure also follows a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean,
01:08a campaign that is facing growing scrutiny from U.S. Congress.
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